Commons:Wiki Loves Earth 2017 in Bangladesh/Rules and FAQ

Wiki Loves Earth in Bangladesh links - 2017: Main page Winning photos Help desk Rules and FAQ Contact Us Statistics

There are just a few simple rules to participate in the contest:

Questions about the rules of the contest

What are the basic rules?

1. All photos participating in the competition must be self-taken and self-uploaded; To be valid, each entry must be a still photograph and they should be from this list. Photos of representative species (animals, plants etc.) taken in an eligible site also qualify if they are properly identified.
2. You must upload your entry to Wikimedia Commons during the month of May 2017 , to be eligible. It doesn’t matter when you took the photo, only that you upload it after 00:00 BST on 1st May and before the final deadline of 24:00 BST on 31st of May.
3. The images can be edited or processed by using any software. However, images with watermarks are not permissible.
4. The default license is Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 (CC-BY-SA 4.0); You don't have to do anything. If you agree with the license just upload it using the upload button described on the main page.
5. You can upload as many photographs as you can
6. Such entries that constitute copyright infringement and fraud will be disqualified.
7. Participants must have an active email account if the organizers wish to contact. If you don't configure your email with your account then go to Special:Preferences, add your email to 'Email options' section, tick the box saying 'Enable email from other users' and when you are finished click 'Save'. After this go to your inbox and verify the email. please ignore this if you configured it already.

In addition to that, by participating in this contest you give us consent to the use your photo(s) on social medias such as Twitter, Facebook, Vkontakte, Instagram, Google+ etc. with your name/username (Here's an example). If you're not comfortable sharing the photos in social media, just say so by emailing us your username.

Non-eligible entries

1. Personal photos; such as group photographs, modeling photographs, and selfie. Out of Scope image(s) coming through this contest will be deleted without notice.
2. Videos and other types of moving image
3. Non-photographic works such as drawings or entirely computer-generated works

Judging criteria

The jury will determine the winners of the local and international contest taking into the consideration the following criteria (in no particular order):

• Technical quality (sharpness, use of light, perspective etc.);
• Originality and creativity;
• Potential usefulness and overall value of the image (including its licensing) to the Wikimedia projects

Local Awards

The local jury will decide on awards in the following categories:

• Best image (1st prize)
• Best image (2nd prize)
• Best image (3rd prize)
• 7 other Highly Commended images

Prizes

1. 1st prize: 10,000 BDT + Crest + certificate + other souvenir
2. 2nd Prize: 8,000 BDT + Crest + certificate + other souvenir
3. 3rd prize: 6,000 BDT + Crest + certificate + other souvenir

About International jury and award

This is an international contest and each country will submit 10 photographs (from the local contest) to the international jury. The Bangladeshi jury will nominate ten best photos for the international competition, which has its own jury. The jury then determine the winners of the final round out of the nominated photos and award the prizes.

• The first international winner will win a travel scholarship (with a maximum value of $3,000) to attend the annual Wikipedia conference in Cape Town, South Africa in 2018.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Can I enter even if I am not based in the Bangladesh?

Yes, of course! Please feel free to submit photos you may have taken in the past, for example during a previous holiday in the Bangladesh.

• Am I still the copyright-holder of my image if I participate?

Yes. It's important to note that you still own the copyright to everything you contribute to this Contest.

• Can I upload images that I have taken and shared in other media like Flickr?

Yes, of course, but in that case, you have to change your license from 'all rights reserved' to 'creative commons share-alike' where the photo was originally published.

• Is there a limit on the number of photos I can submit?

No, you can submit as many as you like. Some people are uploading photos of hundreds of sites. However, we recommend you upload your best and quality photographs and increase your chances of winning.

• Can I use Photoshop or a similar program to post-process my photos before submitting them?

Yes of course. The photos can be edited or processed by using any software. But please avoid the temptation to over-process: this is a photographic and not a computer art contest.

• What are the guidelines on image size?

Please submit images that are as large as possible and do not “downsize for the web”. We value high resolution images for many purposes including print. While images below 2 megapixels may be accepted for the national contest, they will not be considered for a prize as they lack usability at larger sizes, especially in print. Please note we won't contact you and ask you to submit larger resolution photos.

• How can I see the photos that I've uploaded in Wikimedia Commons earlier?

If you're logged in you can see the 'Uploads' link in the top right corner, click there or click here and write your exact username in the box then click 'Go'.

• Can I edit Wikipedia myself to add my photo to an article that doesn’t have images?

Yes, we’d be delighted! As your competition entry is already on Wikimedia Commons, it can easily be re-used on Wikipedia just by adding a link to the page.

• I am not the world’s best photographer. Do you still want my images?

Yes please! Even if you may not be entering in the expectation of winning one of the prizes, your entry can still give you the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped to document your local environment and natural heritage, and that you have made your images freely available for future generations. That you have contributed to or even become part of a growing community (Wikipedia) that believes in making knowledge freely available to all.

• Areas are too large, how to focus what to photograph?

The most useful pictures are those of wide views and representative biotopes. You can also submit photos of representative or rare species (animals, plants etc.) taken in protected areas, but these photos should be properly identified. If you submit such photos, it is up to you to describe them so that we know that a photo was taken in a nature reserve (and not on somebody's own balcony).

• What shall we do if some areas have an entrance fee?

Nothing bad about that. We are not going to force someone to pay for a chance of taking photos. On the contrary, people who are going to pay for entrance will do this anyway, and we encourage them to take pictures there.

The small print

This contest is largely organized by volunteers, and the organizers reserve the right to modify these rules or to cancel the contest at their sole discretion, even after it has started. The organizers accept no responsibility for the provision by the sponsors of any prizes, nor of any liability whatsoever in respect of this contest. Neither the rules nor anything on these pages amount to an offer to create legally binding relations with any of the organizers. Members of the jury are not eligible to receive any award (although they are otherwise welcome to contribute images).